Wherever you are in the world it’s likely that you’re not too far away from a derelict building, but what about whole villages? Or what if you were to come across a ghost ship that has run ashore? It’s certainly not something that you see every day, and the lack of life leaves a promise of the unexpected. It’s no wonder we find these places creepy yet compelling.

We’ve selected what we believe to be some of the best and most magnificently disturbing abandoned places from around the world and put them into an interactive map, all with their own quirky and hugely creepy stories to tell for you to enjoy. From religious theme parks to Soviet era political buildings, we’re pretty confident that even the most seasoned urban explorer would find it hard not to be a little uneasy with some of the offerings in our collection.

Please include attribution to vibrantdoors.co.uk with this map.

Is there anybody there?  

We’re so used to seeing towns and theme parks brimming with people, it’s hard to imagine them completely empty, desolate and decaying. Reminiscent of many horror films, it’s something that’s more at home in fiction than reality. But there are a number of abandoned places around that world that would certainly satisfy any curiosities… it’s just knowing where to look…

If nuclear disaster is something that you’re fascinated by, the deserted city of Pripyat in Ukraine is the place to visit. Once home to nearly 50,000 people, the city was evacuated in just one afternoon over 30 years ago in April 1986 following the deadly Chernobyl disaster. Homes were left as they were, children’s toys can still be found in the abandoned kindergarten. It’s noted that Pripyat won’t be suitable for habitation by humans for 24,000 years, making it one of the worst affected areas in the exclusion zone. Venturing into this area isn’t recommended without an experienced guide, a gas mask, and a Geiger counter. We can’t decide if visiting Pripyat is brave or foolish…

If something with a little history is more your style, then the small cliff top town of Craco should do it for you. An eerily beautiful medieval town on the southern coast of Italy that was still inhabited until it was evacuated in 1968 due to a landslide. With ancient tombs dating back to the 8th century and dusty stone walkways between decrepit buildings, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve stepped into a time warp. It’s easy to see why Craco is a favourite with filmmakers and explorers alike.

Fun Fun Fun…  

Fairgrounds and theme parks can seem like a scary prospect for some anyway, but what if there were a number of ghostly theme parks dotted around the world that have been left to rot away leaving behind nothing but nightmares of what once went before them?

Probably one of the creepiest on our list is Holy Land, themed around the Bible and filled with religious exhibits, the almost cult-like attraction was closed for refurbishment in 1984 but never reopened after its founder, John Baptist Greco passed away leaving the park to an order of nuns who still live there today. Taken over by the local wildlife, hints of what went before can still be seen amongst the trees with ramshackle exhibits and weatherworn religious monuments and statues making their presence known. To make this place even weirder, in 2010 the abandoned park was also the scene of a brutal murder, cementing Holy Land as a place that’s not to be taken lightly.

Conclusion

There’s an old saying that curiosity killed the cat, now we don’t expect many cats to check out our map of abandoned places, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a look… right?

See the full abandoned places map, brought to you by external bifold door experts, Vibrant Doors.

Featured Image: By Emmanuel Eslava (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons